I am a former HS teacher and also a formeer restaurant owner in Pittsburgh - I have a few suggestiopns for you:

Take the kids to The Strip District - very interesting place. Take them on a Saturday morning, if possible, and plan on them eating lunch from the various vendor carts. Or, take them to Primanti's - Its a place I hate but they will probably love it. It, too, is in the Strip District. Lots of reasonable shopping there also.

Another day, take the kids to U of Pittsburgh and to The Dirty O (the Original) for lunch - they have wonderful french fries that the kids will go absolutely nuts over. Huge portions at very reasonable prices.

A word of caution - Do not go to the "O" or to The Strip either late at night.

Across the river there is a brand new mall with a huge smokestack. Lots of shopping which kids love to do. Sorry I do not remember the name but everyone knows about it. Plan on taking them there in an evening for shopping, lots of movies and lots of eateries. Very safe also.

Take them to the new ball park, take the incline, to Mt. Washington for a view of the three rivers, Shadyside for "artsy" shopping $$, and perhaps to Three Rivers Park downtown.

In Bloomfield, there is an Italian section that might be ok - not sure about enough to keep there interest there.

You are welcome to e-mail me. I have a special place in my heart for HS teachers. I am retired - miss the kids.

Sorry for the type o's - I hit the post button by mistake before I could correct them!

I obviously did not teach typing in high school.

eileen is planning a Friday 9AM to 8PM
"get-to-know Pittsburgh adventure", and "way excited about an uban experience".

Rachel's idea of contacting Pitt sounds like a great idea. Urban and educational considering the strength of medical science there.

The Gateway Clipper also was an excellent idea for a Pittsburgh urban experience on the three rivers.

I haven't lived in Pgh since 1979, so I am not familiar with the attractions on the north side (or souside for that matter). I am hoping that there would be a boat that they could take from the northside over to see Station Square to get to the incline.

Bill's comments about boats reminded me that Pittsburgh now has Ducky tours!! (Like the ones in Boston)
From their website: (http://www.justduckytours.com/) "We'll take you on a fun-filled trip through Pittsburgh in a vintage World War II amphibious vehicle, able to drive from land into water. The tour is fun for all ages and provides a history lesson as well as a ride of your life. By the way... quacking and having fun IS required! On the trip you will see highlights of Pittsburgh's cultural and historical sites. We showcase downtown Pittsburgh like no other! On the way, you'll learn facts that some Pittsburghers don't even know!

Just Ducky tours in another excellent idea.

Unless you plan on going to Cedar Point amusement park, you're wasting your time in northeastern OH (Cleveland). Someone said Rock Hall, which is very overrated. Admission is high and the feeling, "is this all there is for what I paid", Lake Erie???, what, to jump in? and the new owner has decimated the baseball team so Jacobs Field just isn't worth it. Cleveland hypes the Flats area, but you'll probably get shot in a parking lot on the East Bank side, or worse yet, have a few too many and fall in the river and drown. Shopping is non-existent in the downtown area as the main street is all boarded up store fronts. Cleveland is a disappointing destination!

One more idea: they have free outdoor movies in the evenings on Flagstaff Hill in Schenley Park. Its a great, safe setting (adjacent to the Carnegie-Mellon campus) and the cost is ideal: FREE!

Check out: http://www.city.pittsburgh.pa.us/parks/html/cinema_in_the_park_and_cinema_.html

Eileen:

Go to Kennywood, period. Skip everything else. You can easily spend the whole day at Kennywood it's so fun. Plenty of park food there, especially the french fries with loads of cheese on it. Yum.

Another vote for eating at the "o". Permani brothers is also a good one - fries and slaw right on the sandwich. Kennywood is also fun. I can't remember the name of the art museum, but its pretty good for a city the size the the 'burgh. I am not from the area, but condier it a second home since I went to school an hour north of there, and have many friends in the area. The people there are very real, down to earth, and super friendly. Every time I visit I am taken aback by how friendly people are there.

Enjoy, and have some O fries for me.

I've never been to Pittsburgh, but this is so interesting. Congratulations on helping these kids do some "mission" work.
I am sorry for the people who tell you to go to Cleveland or Cancun instead. Who knows why Pittsburgh, and that's not important. Maybe they are coming from 25 miles away? Maybe it is a sister city, or has a common bond with their high school.
If someone said they were going to Turkey to do some missionary work would you all tell them they are crazy and should go to Paris instead? I don't think pleasure and fun is what this trip is about, but eileen is trying to add some fun into it. Lighten up you people.

Thanks everyone! Is this a reasonable agenda for a day:9am Carnegie Museums,then Nationality Rooms at Pitt, Original hot Dogs(and fries!) for lunch, then downtown and/or the Strip for shopping, dinner at Primati Bros, then trip up the Incline for the view. We're going to Cedar Point on our way home.

Eileen:

After the museums and nationality rooms and the O, I'd say skip the Strip (too spread out) and stay around Downtown for shopping. You may want to take a walk to Point State Park and visit the Fort Pitt blockhouse and a small museum which are both within the Park. Then eat at Primanti's or another good place to eat, which isn't that far away from Point State Park, is Max and Erma's on Stanwix Street. It's a nice finger food place. All the know is that the fajita are wonderful at this place. I think going to Mt. Washington after this would be too much in one day. A

going to Mt Wash is sooo easy.
Ddepending upon where you are staying you could make it your last stop. Ddowntown Pitt is best viewed at night!

Travel is easy from downtown--Take the T over to Station Square and then walk over to the Duquense Incline--has a great wealth of information. Not sure about the Monongahela (sp?) Incline building having all the historical pictures or articles or viewing platform like the Duquesne one.

WE always take out of town guests there and they love it! The pictures of downtown Pittsburgh in the early 1900's are amazing. IT is my #1 to DO in Pittsburgh!